In an unconventional announcement, City Councilman Eric Ulrich surprised most of the political scene when he posted a YouTube video at 10 a.m. on Tuesday saying he will run for State Senate.
“Today I am excited to announce that I will be a candidate for State Senate in District 15,” Ulrich said in the video. “This was not an easy decision for me to make. I love the job that I already have, and I had every intention of running for reelection next fall, but the stakes are simply too high.”
Ulrich had long mulled the decision. Just this week, the blog City and State reported that the councilman told attendees at a Republican dinner in Manhattan
Ulrich
that he was unlikely to run for senate.
The 80-second announcement video also hit some broad economic themes, just kicking off a campaign season that will stretch until November.
“I will be a state senator that never stops fighting for the middle class,” he said. “I’ve watched too many of my friends and relatives pack up and move out of New York because they simply could not afford to live here any longer. We’ve got to change that. But if we’re serious about revitalizing our communities, creating good-paying jobs and encouraging young people like me to stay in New York then we’ve got to lower the tax burden for homeowners and small businesses and invest in higher education so that people can compete for the jobs of the 21st century.”
He will challenge Democrat Joe Addabbo for the 15th District seat stretching from the Rockaways through Howard Beach and Ozone Park, up to Maspeth and Forest Hills.
Ulrich is 27 years old and often viewed as a rising star on the Republican horizon.
Last year, he was named the chair of Mitt Romney’s New York City campaign. He is the youngest member of the city council and serves as minority whip.
Addabbo
Addabbo said he knew he was in for a fight when he saw the redrawn district lines approved by the state legislature earlier this year.
“It was inevitable,” he said Tuesday. “When the republican leadership drew up these district lines, they weren’t drawing it to help me. I knew this was coming; it was just a question of who.”
The redrawn district lines are generally regarded as more favorable to Republicans. The 15th Senate District now includes more right-leaning neighborhoods like Breezy Point in the Rockaways.
Ulrich has replaced Addabbo once in the past.
When Addabbo defeated 10-term Republican Senator Serph Maltese in 2008, he left his City Council seat representing Howard Beach and Ozone Park.
Ulrich won the seat convincingly in a special election on Feb. 27, 2009 after a grassroots-focused campaign.
He won reelection to his first full term in the following November. He was 24 at the time.
For the moment at least, Addabbo may be the underdog in terms of money in this campaign.
According to the Addabbo campaign’s January financial filing, it has less than $1,700 on hand at the moment.
“The next filing obviously, we’ll have some more money in the bank,” Addabbo said, but still positioned himself as the little guy. “I think I’ve proven in the past that the person with the most money doesn’t always win. I’ve been outspent by opponents many, many times.”
Ulrich’s first filing for the Senate race and Addabo’s next one are due on July 16.
The announcement video is available to view at Ulrich’s campaign website www.ulrich4senate.com.
By Jeremiah Dobruck
j.dobruck@theforumnewsgroup.com
